The battle continues… Today, the Chicago City Council voted to ban the use of ecigs in bars, restaurants, and indoor public places. The approved ordinance will treat e cigs like tobacco cigarettes, banning them from most public locations.

After a lengthy debate, the motion passed with 45 “Ayes” and 4 “Nays”; pretty surprising, considering that many aldermen seemed to be in support of ecigs during the meeting. We watched the entire thing online, through the Council’s “News Central”, and heard several different city officials state that the current scientific evidence is not substantial enough to claim whether or not ecigs are safer than tobacco cigarettes. Cigarette smoke is innately different than vapor from an e cig.

So why did the ordinance pass?

That’s a good question, with no good answer. Alderman Colon (an ex-smoker, and one of the four “Nays”) said during the meeting, “I’m jealous that Alderman Moreno can chew tobacco while we are here … and we are going to pick and choose which tobacco products that we are going to support and deny. So there is not any consistency there. So there we go.”

So there we go, Chicago…

On another note, we acknowledge the city of Chicago for enacting policies that will prevent minors from purchasing ecigs. Stores cannot sell to anyone under 18 and they must request proper identification if a customer wanting electric cigarettes appears under the age of 30. And, online retailers are required to use third-party age verification programs. It’s the one topic we all seem to agree on.

If a retailer gets caught selling an e cig to a minor, the fine could be up to $1000. And now, if anyone gets caught vaping in an area where smoking is prohibited, they could be fined similarly. Either follow the rules, or pay up.

Will your city be next to consider a ban like this? Stand up for yourself and your right to vape by directly contacting members of your city council and sharing your story.

Why electronic cigarettes are being banned in some countries while electronic cigarettes are so safe and healthy? Can anyone tell me if there are any disadvantages or any side effects of electronic cigarettes?

I had cardiovascular surgery in 2011. I had been a smoker since age of 14. I turned to vaping as being a smoker for so long, trying everything from wearing the patch, chewing the gum, being hypnotized, classes from American Cancer Society to quit, nothing worked. When I found electronic ciggs., they seemed to be the answer to my prayers. I am not originally from KY., yet when I first moved here in 2008, people were allowed to smoke actual tobacco cigarettes wherever they went, dinner, shopping, everywhere. It was a smokers’ Heaven here!!! Since then, they changed that law, now same as in NY and NJ., one must go outside to smoke. Now the law is the same for vapor ciggs. My cardiovascular surgeon told me I am allowed to vape!!! It is not harmful at all, having no tobacco smoke, all the harmful additives cigarettes have, yet already ignorant non-smokers’ are convincing legislature to ban the sale of e-cigarettes. No more vaping anywhere public or restaurant, bar in this state. So unfair to us who love to smoke/vape, I have a very difficult problem quitting. I love to vape, I still vape wherever I feel, if somebody says something to me, I simply tell them, this is NOT a tobacco cigarette, mind their business. I am waiting to one day get fined. So so unfair. I believe in vaping, and as a former advocate of smoking, belonging to the American Smoker’s Association, I will do whatever need be in order to stop the ban of e cigarettes! It is ok for people to smoke weed, drink alcohol, and so on, yet we as smokers and vape lovers are always being criticized, etc… I could see if it made a person high, or drunk, it is a harmless alternative to cigarette smoking. Every person who vapes should stand up for their rights as an American citizen, fight the government.

I can’t understand it. The many reasons cigs were banned in public – second hand smoke, mess, odor etc – do not exist with ecigs. There is NO reason to ban them. Yet city after city continues to do so. I would love to hear some sort of explanation.

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